Do You Have a Production Schedule?

I’ve had a couple of questions about my production schedule, and even one request for me to write about it. Well, wish granted!

Every year in December, I make a list of the book projects I want to complete during the upcoming year and craft a production schedule for each one (the production schedule for each book includes dates for the first draft, final first draft, editing, revisions, proofreading, formatting, etc.) and assign deadlines. Then, I add these to my calendar.

I plan to work only when my daughter is in school, taking off all school holidays (including spring break, all three-day weekends, and most of the summer). This simultaneously allows me to spend a lot of quality time with my family, take time to rest and recharge, and still consistently produce quality content.

I estimate I can and will write an average of 1,500 words a day, six days a week, for thirty-five (out of 52) weeks—for a grand total of 315,000 words. More than enough to write my half of two 50,000 word books, the workbook, and an 80,000 word fiction book.

The best-laid plans…

As co-creator of The Miracle Morning series, I don’t write much, if any, of the content. However, I am responsible for quality control, making sure the books are produced and published on time, and helping them hit bestseller status (no small job). Hal was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in the fall of 2016 and his focus this year has been on healing. That meant I had extra responsibility this year—a higher need to focus on our series books and less time to write. Thankfully, he’s doing great and is busy planning his annual event, The Best Year Ever Blueprint being held in late November (and there’s still time to grab your ticket).

Brian Meeks and I finished and published two new books and then put our three together in a boxed set. I also decided to write the Like a Boss series with Ben Hale, an incredibly successful fiction author.

I managed to write more than 250,000 words this year, in addition to coaching and speaking.

Alas, although it is partially written, I didn’t quite finish my first fiction project yet—but you’ll hopefully be proud of me when I say I’m working on it pretty regularly and have just over 5,000 words written.

As you finish 2017, decide how you want your book business to look at the end of 2018. Begin with how much you want to earn, how many books you’ll need to write (and how many copies of each you’ll need to sell—ballpark numbers are fine), and the word count you need to hit each day.

MORE GOOD STUFF…

Your prosperity begins and ends with what you think, say, and door in this case what you do, read, and listen to, so try these on for size:

~Prosperous Reading: Ready to go from author to full-time author? My new book with Ben Hale will help you write your books like the true assets they are to your business. Grab it now: Write Like a Boss: From a Whisper to a Roar

BookBub!

Do you like BookBub? This site is crazy awesome and notifies you when books go on sale (think 99 cents). I have an Author Page with BookBub and if you follow me there, they will send you a personal note when I have a book sale. It’s that easy! Click the box below and hit the “Follow Me” at the top right of my profile.

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